A Proposal of Sorts
by new adventures
Summary: A case, a question, two partners, and a team. When you work as an undercover agent, there can be a grey line between fiction and reality. Starts out case-intensive with the whole team, but is ultimately a Densi story with a lighter tone in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:**I do not own NCIS:Los Angeles or any of the characters. I only own the ones I made up in this story.

A/N: This story starts out in the middle of a case, but it will calm down and get fluffier in subsequent chapters. Just had to set up everything else... I hope you enjoy. Please read and review - constructive criticism is always appreciated!

* * *

**CHAPTER 1**

"OK, there he is – Kensi you're up. Remember, you have to convince him that you are the best one to work for him and his organization. Gain his trust and get him to hire you," Callen directed through the ear buds.

Kensi took a deep breath and walked through the main exhibition hall. It was a typical trade show at the LA Convention Center: rows and rows of tables and booths set up, each company hoping their PR display would be enough to entice the wealthiest clients. Kensi casually made her way over to their target, Victor Meszaros, who was pretending to look at displays along the way. Meszaros was suspected of using his company as a front for illegal arms dealings, but there wasn't enough concrete evidence to charge him yet. Today he was at the trade show talking to various people – just enough of a show to keep his company looking legit enough to the common observer.

Hetty had decided they needed someone on the inside of Meszaros' company, and Kensi became the perfect option. From various sources, they had learned that his last bookkeeper, the man they were trying to turn into an informant, was found dead under mysterious circumstances that morning. While Callen could usually pull off the determined businessman better, intel had also provided rumors that Meszaros had a deep appreciation of brunettes in skirts.

"Excuse me, Mr. Meszaros?" Kensi stood in front of him. "My name is Samantha Miller, and I am so excited to finally meet you in person! I admire you and your work, your business ethics, everything. I have been following you since business school." She excitedly held out her hand for him to shake.

He looked her over. She was young and brunette, two points in her favor. She was wearing a deep red satin blouse, buttoned up just far enough to be decent in public but not far enough to impede the imagination. Her black pencil skirt hugged every curse of her lower body, and her black heels finished off the look perfectly. She definitely had his attention.

"Ms. Miller, is it? It's nice to meet you." Meszaros shook her hand. "Did you want an autograph, or is there something I can do for you?" he inquired coolly.

"This is my resume," Kensi offered him the piece of paper. "It's not about what you can do for me, but what I can do for you. I was hoping that we could talk about the open bookkeeper position you have. I have a proposal for you, Mr. Meszaros, because I'm sure I have just the right skills you are looking for," Kensi offered with a seductive smile.

"You definitely have the skills I am looking for, Fern," Deeks spoke over the comms. She would so get him for that later, and it would hurt, but he couldn't help it; she made it so easy sometimes.

Meszaros seemed interested. He took Kensi's arm and started guiding her out of the crowd to a side hallway, which lead out of the main exhibit hall. He had an entourage of men – body guards, assistants and such – that followed. "Where did you hear about the job opening? I don't think we have anything available right now, but I'd love to hear your proposal," he said as they walked down the hallway.

* * *

"Uh guys, I've lost visual on Kensi. Can any of you see her?" Eric broke in from ops.

"Not yet. She went over to the side, talking with Meszaros, and I'm not quite there. Too many damn people in here. I'm on my way over there now to track her down," Deeks said.

"Nothing for us either. We're completely on the other side of this exhibit hall. It's huge, like two football fields," Sam and Callen responded.

"We've still got her on comms, and it sounds like she's still talking to Meszaros about the job. Deeks, see if you can get closer and keep eyes on her. We're still working to see if we can find any other cameras in the area," Nell said.

* * *

"I know from reliable sources that Justus is no longer with you, and I know that you are in need of someone who can be creative with numbers, shall we say, and keep their mouth shut. If you look at my references, I come highly recommended by Polansky, whom I believe you know." Kensi dropped the name of one of his former associates and allies, hoping it would help seal the deal.

He grabbed her arm and led her into a small, windowless room at the end of the hall, and shut the door after his men had joined them.

* * *

"Guys, we have a problem. They just disappeared with Kensi down the hallway somewhere. I'm not sure which way they went or if they went in a room. I'm having a hard time fighting through this crowd without yelling 'LAPD'. Meszaros' goons blocked the doorway into the hall, so I couldn't keep a visual on her. Eric, any luck getting another camera angle?" Deeks asked.

"No. This appears to be a service hallway, used mostly by convention staff. Not as many cameras in this area. I'm going to keep looking, and I'll let you know when I find something," Eric reported.

"As soon as I reach that door I am going in to find her," Deeks said.

"Not yet, Deeks. Stay out there in the exhibit hall, just close to that door. We still have ears on Kensi, and she hasn't said her distress word yet. She's a tough agent," Callen directed.

* * *

Meszaros smiled. "So Polansky recommends you? Last I heard, he doesn't hire women – for anything. How do you know anything about Justus? And what skills are you so sure you have that will impress me?" he asked as he ran his fingers up her arm to her shoulder and finally rested them on her jaw line. "Oh, and before we continue, I don't think you'll be needing this," he grabbed her cell phone out of her hand, "or this anymore," he added, reaching up and removing her ear bud, which he then crushed under his foot. He handed the phone over to one of his men, who removed the battery and threw the phone under a crate in the back corner.

* * *

"Shit, guys that was Kensi's ear bud," Eric said, referring to the strange noise they had all just heard in their own ears. "I'm also pretty sure they also took the battery out of her phone. It went dead and I can't get any tracking, no GPS, anything. We have no eyes or ears on Kensi now." Eric stated glumly.

"I'm almost over to the hallway doors where they took her. I'm going in to find her. Callen, Sam, you guys anywhere in the area to help me out?" Deeks said.

"We're on our way, but we got held up by someone trying to give us brochures and free stress balls. Don't go in alone Deeks – these guys are pros and don't mess around. Wait for us to get closer," ordered Callen.

* * *

"M-my skills?" Kensi tried to stay in character and remain composed. "I told you, I can help you with your numbers – ALL of them, making sure every digit is in the right place. More than one accounting system, to keep everything straight. Yes, I did work for Polansky. He's one hell of a businessman. You're right, though, he doesn't usually have women work for him, but I made it worth his while, if you know what I mean," she said coyly while fingering the collar of her blouse. "You can completely trust me. I do my job and keep my mouth shut – unless you like it another way," she tried smiling seductively at him. God she hated this job sometimes.

"I don't trust anyone. I certainly don't trust you. You know, I just spoke with Polansky a few weeks ago, and he didn't mention any Samantha Miller. And you are the type of woman that a man like him would definitely mention. I think something's off here, something you aren't telling me. Tell you what, we're going to go back to my office – together – and figure this all out until we get to the real truth. Frederick, take Marco with you and bring the car around to the side entrance. The rest of you are going to make sure the coast is clear all the way to that door. Dominic, I will be escorting Agent Blye out and I would like you and Nico to follow behind us. Take the long way around over to the other service hall first, before going back into the exhibit hall, in case anyone is waiting for her," Meszaros finished up.

Kensi tried not to betray anything on her face, like the fact that she had just been made. "I'm sorry, who? My name is Saman…"

Meszaros reached his hand up and slapped Kensi's face. She wasn't expecting it, and the feel of his hand against her skin stung like a thousand tiny bees were attacking her. Her eyes teared up, and she had to take a small step back to keep her balance. She could feel the heat of the pain in her cheek and assumed it was already bright red. "You can drop the act bitch. I know who you are, Agent Blye. Your people aren't the only ones with eyes and ears all over. This game you are playing is done. Now start walking with me, and act normal when we get out there – like you want to be with me. I wouldn't want anyone to get hurt," he added smirking. The group of Meszaros' men, as well as he and Kensi, started walking out and around to a different service hallway that lead back into the exhibit hall and closer to the side entrance.

* * *

"I've got something," Eric said suddenly. "Deeks, I've got her coming out from a different door back into the exhibit hall with a group of about 8 men, one of them is Meszaros. They look like they might be armed. The door is a little behind you to your right."

Deeks looked over where Eric told him, and saw Kensi walking stiffly with the group of men. Her face was red like she had been hit hard, and her eyes had a wild fierceness in them. Meszaros was holding on to her arm, trying to appear like he was escorting her rather than dragging her along. Kensi looked around as she walked, searching for any friendly face. Suddenly she saw Deeks across the crowd just as he made eye contact with her. She flashed him a quick look that said, "Help me!" He didn't see that look from Kensi very often, but he knew it when he saw it.

"Sam, Callen, I need you guys over here as fast as you can. They've got Kensi and are trying to walk her over to the side exit door, um, Exit F it looks like. There's too many of them for me to take them on alone, and they are all armed. There's also too many civilians in the line of fire to risk it until there's back up. We've got to stop them before they get her out the door. HURRY UP!" Deeks shouted into the comms.

_to be continued... Let me know what you think so far, please._


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2**

Deeks scanned the area quickly, looking to see if his teammates were anywhere nearby. He couldn't see them in the crowd yet; you'd think there was a convention here or something based on the throngs of people in every direction. He looked back at Kensi, who was still (stiffly) shuffling along with Meszaros toward the side entrance. It wasn't the first time a suspect had roughed up his partner, but every fiber of Deeks' being wanted to run over to that guy and punch his lights out for hurting Kensi. His fists were just itching to meet with his face, but he couldn't risk a scene like that. Kensi didn't have her weapon; he wasn't sure how far back Callen and Sam were or how fast they could get to them. So Deeks decided on a different course of action. He put his hand in his pants pocket to make sure the item he wanted was still there. "I guess it's now or never," he said to himself. Taking a deep breath, he slowly but casually walked over to where Kensi and Meszaros were, not wanting to raise their suspicions and cause a gunfight out in the open.

"There you are! I was hoping you didn't ditch me on our special day together," Deeks called out. The group of men with Meszaros slowed down and turned to look at the wild-haired surfer approaching them. "I've been looking all over for you Sunshine. I have something important I want to tell you before you disappear on me again." Deeks reached out to take Kensi's hands in his, but Meszaros wasn't letting go just yet. "Sugar Bear, you are the most amazing woman I have ever known: Beautiful, smart, funny, compassionate but also kick-ass tough, and well, willing to put up with me. Since the day we first met, there has been this incredible thing between us that I can't imagine ever letting go of. You are my first thought in the morning and the last one at night. You are the reason for every one of my smiles. Everything I do, from working to surfing to even watching TV, has meaning because I do it with you by my side." By now a small crowd of onlookers had gathered around them, effectively blocking Kensi, Meszaros and his men in. Deeks grabbed one of her hands away from Meszaros and continued. "I love you. I didn't really know what that meant before you were in my life, but you've shown me what an amazing adventure love is. I don't think there has been a moment in the last three years that I haven't loved you. I promise to keep loving you every moment for the rest of our lives. Will you please do me the honor of becoming my wife? Princess, will you marry me?" Deeks was on bended knee, holding Kensi's hand in his, staring straight up into those deep brown and hazel eyes.

Kensi stared at him. What was he doing? Was he nuts? They were in the middle of a case, and she was being hauled off by the bad guy – a fact he was obviously missing. She knew he joked about their "thing" and was pretty sure he did have some non-partner feelings for her, but she had no idea he felt anything like this. If truth be told, she kind of, maybe, ok yeah, she had some non-partner-ish feelings for Deeks, too, but she had never voiced them to anyone. She had barely started admitting it to herself. Kensi decided to play along, though; things had been weird all day – what's one more thing? She blinked her eyes rapidly, as if to stop tears from falling and raised her hands to her mouth. "Oh my gosh – Yes! Yes, I will marry you Marty!" she exclaimed and wrapped her arms around his neck tightly. The crowd started cheering and clapping, and a chorus of "Awwws" could be heard. "What is this all about?" she whispered in his ear, the one without the ear bud. "Just trust me, sweetheart," was his quick reply. He took a step back and placed the ring from his pocket on her left ring finger, then pulled her in for a very realistic looking kiss.

Eric, Nell, and Hetty were watching this entire scene play out on the large screen in front of them in ops. They could see and hear it all. Nell's jaw dropped and she stared at her co-workers on the screen as they embraced and shared what looked like a very passionate kiss. Eric froze in place. "Did he just… Did they… I mean, was that for real? ... That diamond looks pretty real… Did you know about this? Were they even dating? Wow, go Deeks and Kensi!" Nell and Eric said interrupting each other's thoughts. Hetty had a hint of smile on her face, but made no comment.

"Deeks, we're right behind Meszaros in the crowd. We're going to try to take him calmly and keep chaos to a minimum. If you lovebirds can break apart long enough, try to get the crowd dispersed, and you and Kensi see about some of those goons," Sam said through their comms. Callen just shook his head at the younger pair and kept his eyes trained on Meszaros.

Meszaros tried to grab Kensi's arm to lead her away and get walking again. "As touching as that little scene was, we have an important business meeting with your fiancée. The celebration will have to wait until later," he sneered.

Deeks had other ideas. "I don't think so. Sorry, but I am not letting this beautiful woman out of my sight ever again. I'm sure you understand me being sensitive about my fiancée," he said, protectively getting in front of Kensi and handing her the extra gun he was carrying. "Thank you, dear," she smiled at him as she checked to see it was loaded and ready.

"You're more than welcome, darling," he replied back as he started pushing the crowd towards the outside exits. "Everyone out, now!"

That was the queue for Sam and Callen. Shouts of "NCIS!" and "LAPD!" could be heard echoing in the hall, along with the stampede of frightened people having to leave their free pens, magnets and stress balls behind. Occasional gunshots were heard, but much less than they anticipated. Only two men were killed, both part of Meszaros' entourage. The NCIS team, along with some back-up from the LAPD, worked efficiently to get Meszaros and his men out of there and into custody, without any civilian casualties.

"Good job guys," Callen remarked to his team outside. "Sam and I will head over to the boatshed to talk to Meszaros, then see you two back at the mission. Kensi, are you ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine Callen. Thanks," she replied. Deeks shook his head and smirked at Kensi's answer. It was so typical of her to use that word "fine" when she wasn't.

Deeks looked over at his partner. "Are you ok Kensi? I mean, really ok, not just fine. Your face is still bright red. How hard did he hit you? How many times did he hit you? Did he… did he do anything else to you?" he asked with concern.

"I'm fine Deeks. I mean, I'm ok, really. It stung more than anything; it was just unexpected and I didn't get to defend myself. I'll grab some ice when we get back," Kensi said.

"I know we do a lot of crazy things and go through a lot of crap for this job, but I hate seeing you get hurt. Even something like a face slap… god I hate the thought of any man laying a hand on you," Deeks said in a very serious tone.

"Thanks, Deeks. But it's ok. I'm ok – I'm here with you now, aren't I? We live to see another case."

Silence fell between the partners, neither of them wanting to think about what could have happened – what could happen to either of them at any time on any case. They got in the car and headed back to the office. Kensi let Deeks drive, still feeling a little off from her ordeal.

"Sooooo, that was an unexpected rescue tactic," Kensi began. "Probably not what I would have thought of first, but it worked I guess. Thank you for getting me away from that creep. I realize it was all for show, but it was actually kind of sweet, everything you said," Kensi said softly.

"Are you going soft on me Kensi Blye? Or are you saying that you want me to say sweet romantic things to you more often? You wanna get married and make little ninja assassins?" Deeks asked, giving her one of his trademark smiles.

"I'm just saying that it's nice to hear someone say those kinds of things, regardless of the circumstances. I haven't had anyone say stuff like that to me in quite a while," Kensi answered. "But just try whispering sweet nothings to me in the office and I will show you my knife collection up close and personal."

"Um, ok." Deeks glanced over at Kensi. "You're welcome though. You know, I didn't have any of that planned out ahead of time. When I saw you walking out with him, I had to come up with something. Callen and Sam were too far away yet and I figured I couldn't just go slug the guy in the face like I really wanted to. So I just started doing what I do best – talking. I opened my mouth and figured I would wing it. After the first few words, I didn't even have to think about it. I just looked at you and the words kept flowing out. Most of what I said I meant… well except for, you know, that last part, the-the question part," he stammered nervously. "But I am serious about not letting you out of my sight ever again, partner. Especially after that guy had the nerve to hit you like that today," Deeks said. He actually meant every word of that proposal to Kensi, even the question part, but she would freak out if he ever mentioned that thought to her. Best to keep that part a secret.

Kensi played with the ring on her finger, then looked over at Deeks cautiously. "Deeks, where did you get this ring? It looks just like one I lost the other day."

"It was on the floor in your car. I found it this morning when we were driving over to the convention center. It looked important, so I put it my pocket, and forgot to give it back to you. I'm glad I remembered it when I did – it came in handy today," he answered.

"You found this? Thank you so much!" Kensi exclaimed with a bright smile on her face. "This is my grandmother's ring. My mom just gave it to me last week. I was supposed to have received it on my 18th birthday, but since I wasn't exactly around then, my mom hung on to it for me. I thought I had lost it for good."

"It actually looks like an engagement ring. Was it your grandma's engagement or wedding ring?" Deeks asked. He saw Kensi relaxing as she talked about the ring, and she was actually talking about something personal with him. This was a good thing; there had been too much tension already today.

"Yeah, it was her engagement ring from my grandfather. They were married for 68 years. It was also the same ring my dad gave my mom when he proposed to her," Kensi almost teared up thinking about her dad. Then sobering up, Kensi quietly asked, "Do you think anyone actually bought us as a couple, totally in love and planning our lives together?"

"From all the cheering and clapping I heard in the background, I'd say yeah, they believed it. I mean, really, look at me. Who wouldn't believe that you want to have all this-" he motioned to his body, "-to yourself til death do you part? And from your kiss, I'd say you were happy to buy into the story, too."

"My kiss? You started it." Kensi protested.

"I may have started it, but you, Fern, enjoyed it just as much as I did!" Deeks grinned confidently.

"Of course you enjoyed it – you were kissing me!" Kensi said. As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she blushed. And her thoughts had already returned her to the feeling of his soft lips on hers, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck pulling him in closer. Those thoughts were going to be the death of her yet.

"A little sure of yourself, aren't you Kensalina? And I didn't hear you deny that you did indeed enjoy kissing one Marty Deeks, so…" Deeks stopped talking when he noticed a strange gleam in Kensi's eyes and a devilish smile on her lips.

"Kens, what's up? That look is kind of weirding me out. I've only seen it a few other times, and all of them involved trouble of some sort. This can't be good for me," Deeks stated.

"No, this isn't about you. Well, not directed at you. You know how Sam and Callen are always giving us a hard time about us having a thing, teasing us and thinking they know something is going on between us outside of work?" Kensi asked him.

"Ye-e-ea-a-a-h-h-h," he answered slowly, still not sure where she was headed with this.

"You wanna play with them a little? Give them a taste of what they think they already know?"

His curiosity was definitely peaked now. "I'm not sure if I should ask this, because I think I'm starting to be a bad influence on you, but what do you have in mind exactly, Fern?"

Kensi answered quickly. "I have a proposal of my own for you. What if we keep this going a little longer? Play this out when we get back, like the engagement is real, and see how they react. What do you say, Deeks?" It would be fun to get the older two agents back for all their teasing, plus Kensi could enjoy being very close to Deeks a little longer without having to explain her real reasons.

"I say that I could not be prouder of you, partner. Even that evil gleam in your eyes makes me proud. Question, though. Does this mean I get to touch you, hug you, and maybe even kiss you, without you inflicting bodily harm? That knife collection you mentioned – that's not part of this deal, right? Because I don't think you'd want to do any permanent physical damage before we have the wedding night." Kensi reached over and punched him in the shoulder. "Um, ok Sunshine. I'm in - let's do this." Deeks agreed, and they drove the rest of the way to the mission to face their teammates.

_A/N: I hope you like this new development! Not sure how quickly I can get a new chapter up over the weekend, with both of my kids home and no school. Family time! Hopefully I can get something new up by Sunday night, but if not I hope this longer chapter keeps you going until I can. Thanks for reading/reviewing/following!_


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3**

"You're sure you still want to do this?" Deeks asked Kensi as they walked in from the parking area.

"After the day I've had, I could use some fun. And I can't wait to see the looks on their faces!" Kensi had a genuine smile on her face, one she rarely wears but Deeks loves. They walked into the building hand in hand, smiling and laughing like they had just shared an inside joke.

"So there's the happy couple," Sam remarked as soon as they neared the bullpen. "What happened to 'We don't have a thing'? Sure looks like a thing now – a thing with a ring!" Sam was grinning so hard his dimples showed.

"Real smooth out there Deeks. Interesting approach - proposing in the middle of an agent-in-distress situation. If it had been me, I would have waited until we were in a shootout to propose. Guns blazing and everything – way more dramatic and memorable," Callen joked.

"Laugh all you want guys, but I got the girl, didn't I? I figured Kensi and I originally met during an op so it was only fitting that I ask her to marry me in a similar fashion," Deeks responded.

Kensi nodded in agreement. "It was unexpected but really sweet guys. Nobody will have the same story as us to tell about the day they got engaged." Kensi looked up at her "fiancé" and gave him a peck on the cheek. "He's always keeping me on my toes. Just one of the many things I love about him."

"I never knew you had it in you, Deeks. It takes a special man to handle a woman like Kensi – good luck," Callen said as he sat down at his desk.

"Gentlemen, I have no intention of 'handling' Kensi. I intend to love her completely and faithfully, always have her back in the field and then have everything else at home," he said with a big smile, gazing into her eyes and wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Deeks!" Kensi shouted with mock disdain, but instead of punching him, she locked her arms around his neck and gazed back into his sparkling blue eyes. Kensi noticed the intense shade of blue, and then realized how very close their bodies were to each other. This is how the dreams begin, she thought to herself.

Sam and Callen looked at the couple, and then at each other, sharing a look that said "What the hell?" The senior partners were speechless; they were just joking around with the younger pair. But this was something new – Kensi was allowing Deeks to touch her, in front of all of them no less – and she didn't retaliate with physical pain. There were no punches, no "ow" from Deeks, nothing. In fact, Kensi seemed to pull him closer to her, if that were possible given the lack of space already between them.

"Where's the happy couple?" Nell and Eric ran down the stairs into the bullpen area. Upon seeing them standing near Deeks' desk, Nell rushed over. "Oh my god you guys! Congratulations! This is so exciting! Let me see the ring, Kensi." Kensi dropped her arms from Deeks' neck and held her left hand out for Nell to inspect. Nell looked it over carefully before speaking. "Is that your grandma's engagement ring, the one you were telling me about? That is so romantic, Deeks. You guys are so perfect for each other. Obviously, you figured that out way before the rest of us did," Nell continued on. Kensi and Deeks looked at each other. Deeks still had one arm around her waist, and she was snuggled close to his side with her head leaning on his shoulder. Though normally she would not be caught dead letting Deeks put his hands on her in such a familiar way, today she felt very comfortable. She even thought she could get used to this on a daily basis.

Eric shook hands with Deeks and congratulated him. He then went and stood over by Nell, not sure what else to say or do. Eric really was at a loss if he didn't have his tablet in his hands or a case to talk about.

"I believe congratulations are in order, all around. You all did a fantastic job in getting Meszaros and his men apprehended without any civilian casualties. Not an easy feat for the venue you were at. Have a good night, all. Oh, and Ms. Blye – I would like those clothes back in the morning, cleaned and pressed. Not a thread out of place," Hetty added before walking out.

"Well, I'm out of here for the night. See you tomorrow guys," Eric said, looking relieved at a reason to leave.

"I'll walk out with you Eric," Nell said. "Kensi, I am so excited for you! If you want me, I am so your girl for wedding planning. I can't wait! Ooh, maybe a beach wedding?" squealed Nell as she walked out with Eric.

Callen looked at the two younger agents. "Ok, you can tell us. That proposal, it was just a diversion, right? This isn't real, is it?" he asked, looking for some sort of confirmation. "Kensi, did you fall and hit your head? Get a concussion? Is Deeks blackmailing you?"

Kensi shook her head with a bright smile on her face."Stop worrying guys. I'm really happy. I have an amazing man by my side and I know exactly how he feels about me," Kensi said looking up at Deeks before looking back at Callen. He had said in the car that he meant almost everything in the proposal. She wished she could tell him exactly how she felt about him, but she wasn't quite ready for that yet. "Overall it's been a wonderful day. One I will remember for a long time."

"G, look at those two grinning like idiots and ignoring the rest of us right here. Only two people in love act like that. She's still wearing his ring, too. Let's just leave them alone. I have my own beautiful woman waiting for me and I'm tired. I want to go home," Sam said to his partner.

Callen picked up his bag and slung it over his shoulder. "I'm not sure what's really going on here, but just... just keep all your clothes on. And please don't do anything that would ruin that couch for me and any future naps I want to take there," Callen added.

"I think we should head home, too, sweetheart, so we can enjoy the rest of the night together, privately," she said to Deeks with a wink. "Apparently the couch here is off limits."

"That's ok – that leaves a lot of possibilities open at home. We've got all night baby girl!" Deeks grabbed her tight up against himself and kissed her while she tried to control a giggle. If Kensi wanted to play this game, he was going to make sure he took full advantage of the situation and have some fun of his own. He may never get the chance to kiss her like this again, although he certainly hoped there would be a lot more.

_Sweetheart? Baby girl? _Sam and Callen mouthed to each other. Kensi was giggling? "Okay, who are you and what have you done with our Kensi? Love – if that's what this is - has messed you two up big time!" Callen said flustered.

"Yeah and now I have less than professional images of the two of you going through my brain. Thanks a lot." Sam said glaring at them. "See you guys tomorrow."

"I guarantee we will both be back tomorrow. This woman is not leaving my sight. No one will ever take my sugar bear away from me. I don't think my heart could handle it." Deeks wrapped his arms tight around Kensi again, and dipped his head down to gently kiss her neck and nuzzle his face in her hair.

"Good night you two."

* * *

Deeks drove Kensi to her apartment and walked inside with her.

"Well that was fun, Fern. What do you want to do for the rest of the night?" Deeks asked once the door was closed.

"I could use a shower and some ice cream to help me get over the trauma of today," Kensi answered, already heading for the bedroom and her adjoining bathroom.

"Which do you want me to help with, light of my life? The shower or the food?" Deeks cheekily asked with a gleam in his eye. She turned and smacked him in the chest with her flat palm. "Ow! Hey, that's a legitimate question a man gets to ask his fiancée!" Deeks pleaded.

"Yeah, but you're not legitimately my anything," she shouted back from the bedroom as she gathered her things for her shower.

"I give you a diamond ring and yet it's not enough? That hurts Sugar Bear."

"It's my ring to begin with, Deeks."

"Touché. I'll go get that ice cream now."

She laughed and turned on the water in the shower. She stepped in and let the warm stream wash away the stress from everything that had happened earlier that day. She still couldn't believe she had been made so quickly in the Meszaros case, but she was grateful that Deeks had been able to get her away from him. Kensi laughed again as she thought about his unorthodox way of distracting everyone. Heck, it had even taken her by surprise. Deeks… she had to admit that celebratory kiss in the convention center was nice. Really nice. Ok, incredible. And the kiss back at the mission, just before they left… Is that how he would kiss the woman he wanted to spend his life with, or was he playing it up for the others? Either way, Kensi wouldn't mind having more of those. Thinking about the kiss made her think about what could happen after a kiss like that, and pretty soon she had to turn the shower water to cold just to get her mind back on track.

Kensi got out of the shower and dressed in some shorts and a tank top. She plopped down on the couch and turned on TV. As another episode of America's Next Top Model played, she absentmindedly played with the ring on her finger. What kind of husband would Deeks be? Maybe she should think about what kind of boyfriend he would be first, since they hadn't even reached that stage yet. He would definitely be thoughtful, caring, protective and jealous… and flirtatious and sexy and… Her thoughts were interrupted when Deeks came through the door with pizza, ice cream and beer.

"You really know how to wine and dine me, don't you Deeks?" she said with a smile.

"You already said yes and have the ring. I figured the having-to-impress-you stage is over. We can move on to the tried-and-true, comfy stage of our relationship." There, he said it – the relationship word. That's what he really wanted with Kensi. If only he could admit it to her without the pretense of a fake engagement.

"I can live with that," she replied and grabbed a slice of pizza from the box.

After they finished eating, they stretched out on the couch. Kensi put her feet on Deeks' lap and asked for a foot massage. "I had to wear those stupid heels all day. My feet are killing me." He rubbed her feet while they watched TV, making fun of the shows and the highly implausible plot lines. Then a commercial for a jeweler came on, which made Kensi switch modes.

"Have you ever proposed to a woman before? I mean, I know you're not married, but have you ever proposed – for real? I was just wondering," Kensi asked.

"Nope. You are my first, Kensalina. You have de-questioned me. My question has been popped," Deeks babbled on.

"Eww." She rolled her eyes and kicked his thigh with her toes.

"Too much?" Deeks questioned with a grin.

"Too weird," Kensi answered. She went back to her original topic. "Have you ever thought about how you would propose, for real I mean, when you find the right woman? Would it be like today, somewhere open and public, in front of lots of people? Or are you more the private moment, romantic type, just you and her?" Kensi wondered.

"I have actually thought about it," Deeks answered honestly. He would never admit he's thought about it specifically in relation to her even though they've never gone out on a real date. Revealing those thoughts would put him in a body cast for sure. They were sharing a nice moment, no need to be blatantly honest. "I would have to say I am more the private moment, romantic guy. But once she says yes, then it would become very public because I want the whole world to know I am marrying the most amazing, beautiful woman in the world," Deeks said. "I would spoil her with her favorite things, set up the perfect moment – not something cliché but something that has special meaning just for the two of us – and then tell her every reason I can think of why she has captured my heart and I can't live without her." He wanted to ask about her idea of the perfect proposal, but he didn't want to bring up any painful memories from her past.

"That sounds really great Deeks. I'm impressed. Whoever she is, she'll be a lucky lady," Kensi responded. Her brain was already wondering if she'd ever have the chance to be his lucky lady. That would mean she'd have to admit having feelings for him first, and she was still hesitant about that. What if he didn't really think of her in that way, and her senses about it had been off this whole time? It was much safer to keep it to herself and just enjoy the flirty banter they had instead.

"Kens? Hello?" Deeks waved his hand in front of her face, trying to get her attention. "You kind of spaced out there. You ok?"

Realizing she had let her thoughts take over, she quickly regrouped. "Yep, I'm good. Just a little tired maybe. It's been a long day. Think I'm going to bed." Kensi thanked him again for saving her today. Then she reached up with one hand, laid it on his cheek and tenderly kissed his other cheek. He noticed she hadn't taken the ring off her left hand finger yet. Deeks imagined how great matching gold bands on their fingers would look. He also wished that he could just grab her, kiss her passionately, and tell her that he wanted to stop pretending. That he had pictured their life together many times, and despite them having never gone out on a real date, he was ready to take the plunge. If they were playing poker, he would be all in.

"Hey Kens. I meant what I said earlier to both Meszaros and to Callen. I am not letting you out of my sight tonight. It's just not gonna happen. Not after some jerk hit you and tried to take you away. I can sleep on the couch, but I am not leaving," Deeks insisted.

"You're always looking out for me, aren't you? I have no problem with you staying, but you don't have to sleep out here. We're adults, and I think we can handle sharing a bed for one night – we've done it before. Plus I really don't want to deal with you whining tomorrow about your bad back from my couch. Come on," Kensi offered. The whining part was a real enough reason, but she also wanted to have Deeks by her side all night. She felt like she needed the security that came from his presence, but didn't want to risk sounding like one of those clingy women.

Deeks followed her into the bedroom. He grabbed some shorts and a t-shirt out of his go-bag and changed before crawling into bed. They were each lying on their back, on their own side of the bed, nothing touching in between. Deeks thought to himself how differently he would prefer the sleeping positions, but he knew not to push his luck with Kensi. He had gotten to kiss her, really kiss her, twice already today, and that was definitely progress.

"Goodnight, wifey-to-be."

"Goodnight Deeks."

A few hours later, Kensi woke suddenly. She propped herself up on her elbow and blinked her eyes in the darkness, trying to figure out what it was that had roused her. Then she saw the shape of a man next to her, and realized that she wasn't used to having someone else sleeping so close to her. Maybe he moved or made a sound that woke her up. She looked at Deeks again, her eyes now fully adjusted to the dark. He looked like he was completely asleep. A few locks of golden blond hair had fallen down across his forehead, and without thinking she reached up and brushed them out of his eyes. She had always wanted to do that, and his hair was as soft and silky as she had imagined it. She really wanted to run her fingers through his long locks, the ones that framed his face and neck, but she didn't want to risk waking him up. _I love you,_ Kensi silently mouthed to Deeks' sleeping form. She just wanted to try it out and see how it felt on her lips. She was really glad he was sleeping because she wasn't sure she would have been brave enough to say that while he was awake. With a quiet sigh, Kensi closed her eyes and fell back asleep.

He wasn't sure what time it was, but it was still dark. Kensi was sound asleep, but instead of being on her back like before, she was on her side facing him. He watched her for a moment, thinking how lucky he was to be lying this close to the most beautiful woman in the world. She looked so peaceful at this moment, completely relaxed without a worry in this world. Thankful that she was sleeping, he quietly scooted closer to her, kissed her temple, and put his arm around her waist. She didn't move, meaning he hadn't woken her up, which was a relief. Relaxed himself now, with Kensi as close as he dared have her, Deeks drifted back to sleep.

_more chapters to come... number 4 is on the editing block as we speak..._


	4. Chapter 4

_I realized after writing this chapter, that each chapter gets longer than the one before it. Sorry about that. The ideas and words start flowing, and it's not always easy to find a logical breaking point at approximately the same word count each time. Hope you don't mind._

* * *

**CHAPTER 4**

The first bits of sunlight were starting to filter in through the curtains when Deeks woke up. He was usually up early for surfing before work, but today catching a wave was the last thing on his mind. In his arms, and wrapped up tighter against his chest than he remembered, was Kensi. There was no way a board could compete with that. She was still fast asleep, which was not a surprise. This was not her preferred time of day. After lying there for a while holding her and admiring her, she started to move in her sleep. Deeks loosened his arms around her and she rolled onto her stomach, burying her face in the pillow. Not once did her eyelids open or even flutter. Impressive. He finally looked at the clock. It was time to get up for work.

"Good morning honey! You know what today is? It's the first day of the rest of our lives." He scooted a little closer to her and planted a kiss on her head before quickly backing up to the edge of the bed. The morning version of Kensi could be very unpredictable.

"Call me honey again and it will be a very short life," she mumbled.

"Is that any way to greet your amazingly charming future husband?"

"You should know by now your fiancée is not a morning person. 5 more minutes of peace, please," she sleepily begged.

"Do you want peace, or a piece of me?" Deeks raised his eyebrows, teasing her. He briefly allowed himself to imagine what it would be like to spend all morning in bed with Kensi.

Kensi groaned and lazily swatted over in his direction. She missed. "Ugh, it's even too early to properly hit you for that remark. Just say ow anyway."

Deeks laughed. "You may not be a morning person but you're still adorable in the morning." That statement had gone through his head a couple of times silently, but this last time it had actually come out. He mentally prepared himself for the real hit that was to come. A few minutes went by, and Kensi was still lying down, eyes closed tight. He decided to get up and get ready for work.

"Hey Deeks," she called out while trying to sit up. "What should we do about work today? I mean about our engagement thing. Should we tell them the truth right away or wait?" a groggy Kensi asked, trying to get her thoughts in order.

"No matter when we tell them, you know Nell is going to be disappointed. She is already planning the wedding!" Deeks said.

"Yeah, I know. I kind of feel bad for misleading her. But did you see the looks on Sam's and Callen's faces last night trying to figure us out? That alone was worth it!" Kensi laughed as she thought back to Callen's comments about the couch.

"How about we just go to work and wing it? See if anyone says anything, and go from there. We're pretty good at improv - we've had enough practice with all the undercover cases we've worked," Deeks said.

Kensi thought about it. "Yeah, I guess. Now go make your fiancée some breakfast – with lots of coffee!" she moaned as she started to get out of bed.

"And so it begins…" Deeks muttered under his breath. "Yes, dear!" he called out as he walked to the kitchen. He ducked just in time to miss the pillow that came flying out the bedroom door.

* * *

They arrived at the mission and got out of the car. "Ready for day two of soon-to-be Mr. & Mrs. Deeks, my buttercup?" he asked, putting his arm around her waist.

"Ugh, really? Buttercup? I think I just threw up a little. Stick to the tried and true pet names – at least those don't make me nauseous," Kensi said with a grin.

Their teammates were already at their desks when they arrived. Deeks and Kensi were laughing and talking about possible honeymoon locations as they came up to the bullpen area. Sam and Callen looked up at each other and then at the couple. Callen noticed that Kensi was still wearing the diamond ring on her left hand. Sam was impressed that Deeks did not have any new visible bruises or a limp, despite him being very much in Kensi's personal space.

"Good morning guys." Kensi greeted the two men.

"Good morning to you as well," Sam smiled big. "Looks like a couple of agents I know got a good night's sleep. Or was that no sleep at all? What do you think, G? Do these two look like well-rested agents ready for a serious day of saving the world?" Sam inquired of his partner.

"As long as my couch hasn't been violated, I don't want to know. And since when do we do anything serious around here, Sam?" Callen added as he looked up from his newspaper.

Kensi blushed slightly at his words, and hoped no one noticed. She really needed to get those thoughts under control. Deeks chuckled a little, and then gave Kensi a quick peck on the lips before walking over to his desk and putting his bag down. Kensi set her coffee down, put her bag on the floor at the side of her desk and switched on her laptop. Before she could sit down, though, Eric was at the railing playing a kazoo to signal a new case they were needed for upstairs. The team members rolled their eyes and shook their heads in amusement.

"Does that guy ever do anything normal?" Deeks wondered out loud.

"Are we going by your definition of normal or everyone else's?" Kensi asked him.

"Ah, good point." Deeks conceded. "But you love my totally unique self, Sugar Bear. You wouldn't have me any other way." No, she wouldn't. He was exactly what she wanted and needed, if she was really honest with herself. She grabbed his hand and led him upstairs.

After the briefing in ops, Eric motioned for Deeks to stay back. Sam went back to the bullpen, and Callen pulled Kensi aside in the hallway upstairs. "Tell me the truth Kensi. Does Deeks really make you happy? Is this -" he motioned to her ring, "really what you want?"

Kensi tried to be vague. "Yes, he makes me happy. He makes me smile and laugh more than anyone else. We're really good together. And he and I, that's what I want." She was being vague for the sake of her little game, but it was also truthful. She did want Deeks. "What's with all the questions G?"

"Kensi, you're like my little sister. I've always felt a bit extra protective of you – not because you can't handle yourself or because you're a woman – we all know you could take us down in a minute – but because of this family dynamic we have going on. Yesterday I didn't even know you guys were dating, and then in the middle of a case in public I watched you get engaged to your partner. I was surprised at the news, and I'm sorry if I seemed more suspicious than happy or excited for you last night. You know me, I have to think things over and analyze them for quite a while before I accept them." Callen paused before going on. "But I see the way you look at him and how he looks at you, and I'm not sure how I've missed it before this. Obviously you guys figured your thing out long before the rest of us did or you wouldn't be planning a wedding with him now. I guess I've been teasing you because I'm jealous of you."

"You're jealous? Of me and Deeks? Why?"

"We've been friends for a long time, Kensi, and I've never seen you like you are with Deeks. You've let walls down that Sam and I thought you would have up forever. You've let yourself lighten up and be happy again. You were able to find someone who knows the real you and not a cover story, who understands your career and the commitment it takes to do it well, and loves you despite it all. That's not easy to find in our line of work. If you're happy then I'm really happy for you Kens. That's all I want. Congratulations! Deeks is a lucky man, and he must be very special if you have trusted your heart to him." Callen said and hugged Kensi.

"I think we can all agree that Deeks is pretty, um, 'special,'" Kensi laughed. "I'm sorry we didn't say anything sooner. We kept our dating a secret a first because we weren't sure how it would affect the team dynamic here, and we wanted to make sure what we had was solid. Then it just ended up being something we got used to keeping separate from our work life. It's kind of nice to have it out in the open now, and share our happiness with all of you." She wondered when her vague answers had turned into a heart-to-heart with Callen. She didn't lie to him, though. In a weird way, it was nice to be able to have some things out in the open and be able to act like she and Deeks were a real couple. Kensi started down the stairs.

"Oh, for the record – I called it. Way back with Jason Wyler I called it. You were totally stuck, smitten, whatever, with those baby blues!" Callen called back to her. "Now for my second appointment of the day…" he said to himself. He walked down the stairs and into the gym. Sam and Deeks were already in there shooting hoops. As soon as Callen walked in, Sam grabbed the basketball away from Deeks and threw it in the corner. The two senior agents walked up close to Deeks, forcing him against a wall.

"Uh, guys, what's up? What's going on? Thought we were just having a friendly game of b-ball," Deeks stammered nervously. These guys could be scary when they wanted to be.

Sam started. "So you and Kensi, you're getting married? You really ready for all this – no more dating other women, no more flirting with nurses or yoga bunnies or models; til death do you part, white picket fence, kids, dog, mortgage? Cause there is no way we will let you give Kensi any less than she deserves, and she deserves every happiness in this lifetime," he finished and stared at the scruffy detective.

Deeks cleared his throat. "Well, I, uh, I already have a dog, who also loves Kensi, and we kind of do that whole 'til death do us part agreement as partners, so I think I'm ready," Deeks tried to nervously joke.

"Deeks, this is not a joke. G, he thinks this is a joke."

"He does look like he's trying to joke Sam. I wouldn't joke if I were you, man. Sam's sense of humor doesn't kick in until after lunch." Callen looked straight at Deeks as if he was analyzing him. "Here's the deal: You better treat Kensi with the utmost respect. You better cherish and love her every day without fail. You do not hurt her or leave her or let her down, EVER, or you will answer to us. We are trained to take you out before you even know it. And we know people; people who can make even the tiniest bit of forensic evidence disappear, if you get my drift."

Deeks looked from one man to the other. They weren't joking, not even cracking a smile. This was not part of Kensi's little game. Suddenly Callen relaxed his face and grabbed Deeks into a friendly man-hug. "No hard feelings, right? It's all good? We're just looking out for our girl. Congratulations Deeks! May you and Kensi have a long, happy life together!" Callen said with a genuine smile. Sam patted him on the back and said "Welcome to the ball-and-chain club!" Then they walked out of the gym together, leaving a very stunned and confused Deeks in their wake. He would not admit it if asked, but his legs were shaking just a bit and his blood pressure had gone up 30 points.

Kensi had sat down to work at her desk. She was finally getting started on some of the details from their briefing earlier. Hetty silently appeared in the bullpen entrance and observed her female agent.

"Where is your other half, Ms. Blye?"

A bit startled, Kensi looked up at her boss. "I'm not sure. I came down here after our meeting in ops, and all three guys were missing."

"Hmmm." Hetty stepped a little closer to Kensi's desk. "How are you today? Everything as it should be?"

"Um, yep Hetty. I'm good. Everything's fine," she answered cautiously. It was never a simple conversation when Hetty was involved.

"You did a commendable job yesterday. Our analysts are still trying to find the leak that caused your cover to be compromised, but despite an injury and attempted abduction, you came out of everything well," the special operations manager concluded.

"I'm sorry about that Hetty. He never should have hit me. I mean, it never should have happened – I should have been able to stop it before it happened or at least defend myself. I took a risk and let my guard down just a little, and the game changed," Kensi spoke fast, afraid she was going to be reprimanded for what happened with Meszaros.

"You know, there is nothing wrong with taking risks, Ms. Blye. Sometimes the only way to get to the real truth is by letting your guard down and taking the risk to step outside the status quo. You have an amazing partner who will always have your back, so you shouldn't be afraid of these opportunities when they present themselves." Hetty smiled and nodded at Kensi before disappearing as only she can do.

Kensi was sure there was a nugget of wisdom in those words that she was supposed to glean and hold on to for years to come. There usually was when Hetty spoke with you. Maybe that wisdom would come to her later, because her brain only registered intellectual babble at that moment. She was still thinking about her conversation with Callen. He had totally bought their little joke, but it didn't feel as satisfying as she thought it would. It felt weird and a little unsettling - not in a bad way but in a way she couldn't quite put her finger on. Some noise in the hall shook her from her thoughts. Callen and Sam were walking back from wherever they had been, with Deeks trailing behind. Deeks was unusually quiet and looked a little shaken.

"You ok babe? You look a little, I don't know, green. Do you need to lie down?" Kensi asked him, a little concerned.

"No, I'm good. Really, nothing to worry about. Just a tough round of basketball with these two," he motioned to the guys. He forced a smile on his lips and turned to face Kensi. "As long as I have you, Sugar Bear, everything is great!" Deeks replied. "How about we go check out that neighborhood Eric told us about, shall we? I could use some fresh air."

* * *

After two hours of sitting in the car together watching, listening and taking mental notes about the neighborhood for surveillance purposes, Kensi couldn't take it anymore. They had already fought over the radio stations, Deeks had texted her twenty-seven times, and she only had one Twinkie left. Plus that morning's encounters were still bugging her. She put the binoculars down and looked over at her partner, who was busy playing Angry Birds on his phone.

"Deeks, we need to talk. About us and our engagement thing."

"Are you getting cold feet already, Fern? It's only been 24 hours." Deeks looked up from his game with a fake pout on his lips.

"Did you have anything weird happen this morning?" she asked.

"You're going to have to be a little more specific. Everything around that place can be classified as weird," Deeks said.

"After our briefing this morning, Callen stopped me in the hall and had one of those big brother, heart-to-heart talks with me. He said he just wanted to make sure I was happy. Said he was surprised by the news but he can see how we look at each other and that it must be real. I think he really believes us," Kensi said.

"What did you say to him?" Deeks asked.

"I tried to be vague. Just said that we are good together and you make me happy, stuff like that. Now I kind of feel bad. He seemed so sincere; he genuinely believes he sees something real between us, and he's happy and supportive about it," Kensi remarked. This was supposed to be a joke on the guys, but she was starting to think the joke was on her. Real feelings and emotions were getting involved that she hadn't planned on.

Deeks put his phone away. "I had an interesting conversation with Eric in ops after you all left. He congratulated me again, said we were so lucky. He would give anything to have a woman look at him the way you look at me. I should hold on to what I have and enjoy it. Do you know why everyone keeps talking about how we look at each other – do we do something weird? Do I make a silly face at you or something and not realize it?" Deeks wondered.

"I'm not sure. I don't think you make a face other than your usual one when you look at me, but then again that could be considered odd." Kensi grinned at him.

"So after my conversation with Eric, Sam and Callen cornered me in the gym. They gave me a scary big brother talk, the 'if-you-hurt-our-Kensi-we-will-kill-you' speech. They mentioned someone named Abby who could leave no traces of forensic evidence. I tried to be vague with them, too. I said I would never hurt you, never let you down, and never leave you. Then they both hugged me."

"This is getting too real," Kensi blurted out. "I mean, we should tell them the truth when we go back. We had our fun, but before Nell has my dress picked out and a hall rented we should probably come clean," Kensi said hoping Deeks didn't notice her flushed face.

Deeks laughed. "Yeah, I guess we should. It was fun to watch them try to figure out how they all could have missed us dating before yesterday. Wait… what did you mean about this getting too real?"

Time to cover her tracks. "I just meant that everyone thinks this – us – is real and I don't want to deceive our friends anymore. We had our laughs, but we can't keep this up forever." Kensi said. "Thanks for playing along. It was fun pretending, but I guess we better get back and tell everyone the truth." If only she could bring herself to tell Deeks the truth.

"I guess," Deeks muttered. He didn't really want it to end. He liked the idea of it lasting forever. Did she have any thoughts like that? He wanted to ask her but wasn't sure how. "Hey, how about lunch on the way back first? I'm starving."

"Sounds perfect. Food truck or drive-thru today?" Kensi asked as they pulled away from the curb.

* * *

_So how do you think the team is going to respond when they tell them the truth? And what truth will they tell to whom? Hmmm, guess you'll have to stay tuned for the next chapter..._


	5. Chapter 5

_You are all so awesome with your reviews – I love it! Your excitement about what has happened and what is going to happen in this story is so contagious. They keep me writing, not just this story but several other ideas that have made their way into my brain. The readers and reviewers and followers are my encouragers (enablers?). Thanks for sharing the love!_

* * *

**CHAPTER 5**

The OSP headquarters was a beehive of activity when Kensi and Deeks returned from lunch. Callen was in Hetty's office having a heated discussion in Russian. Sam was at his desk reading through several paper files and sorting them into various stacks. Kensi ran upstairs to check in with the tech twins, and even they were too busy to talk. Nell was running back and forth between her desktop unit and a laptop on the central table, occasionally stopping in the middle of the room to slide something across her tablet onto the large screen. Eric was swiveling himself from side to side in his chair, staring intently at lines of code flying past on his screen. Their "team meeting" was going to have to wait until later it seemed. Kensi went back to her desk to work on some unfinished reports; Deeks had already found his rhythm and was busy piling finished reports in his outbox.

The flurry of activity finally slowed down later in the afternoon, and Deeks gathered everyone together over by the couch. He stood next to Kensi in front of their colleagues; both tried to smile despite feeling nervous. Everyone looked at the pair curiously as they hadn't been told why they were gathered together.

Kensi wasn't sure how to start. "So about me and Deeks…"

"We have something we want to tell you guys," Deeks quickly added.

Nell got excited. "There's more to tell? Did you pick a date already? Oh my gosh, Kensi, are you pregnant? 'Cause that's going to change your dress options and what time of year you can have the ceremony and…"

Kensi stared at her red-headed friend. "Um, no Nell. Sorry, but not even close." She paused before continuing. "Actually, we're not getting married." Her voice came out soft and tender, as if she was delivering bad news to a victim's family.

"What?" Nell looked like she was going to cry. Eric put his arm around her shoulder.

"We're not getting married," Kensi repeated a little louder. "The truth is we aren't even together, you know, like that."

Callen stood up and looked straight at the shaggy detective. "You're not what? Deeks, what did you do to her already? Didn't we just have a talk this morning? I thought we made ourselves very clear."

"You better start thinking about how far and how fast you can run," Sam added while opening and closing his fists.

Deeks took over for Kensi, who looked unsure of how to proceed. "Here's the story: yesterday when I got down on one knee and proposed to Kensi, that wasn't exactly real. I needed to create a diversion so Meszaros couldn't get Kensi out of the building before you guys came to back me up. I tried to think of something I could do, and had this ring in my pocket that I had found earlier. It was Kensi's grandma's ring, and the idea just came to me. I started talking, and the proposal made its way out of my mouth. Obviously you guys all saw or heard it over the comms. Kensi and I decided to have a little fun with you guys because you are always giving us a hard time about us having a 'thing'. It just snowballed from there."

Nell recovered from her earlier shock. "That was a fake proposal? Wow, was any of that real? I mean, we could see and hear you guys, and it looked very real to us. Everything you said to her Deeks, and that kiss – I mean, wow."

Deeks turned and looked at Kensi. "I have never lied to Kensi, even during an undercover op. And I still haven't." He held her gaze steady until Sam spoke up.

"What about when you guys came back here after the case ended? You were holding hands and being sickeningly cute, and Kensi you were still wearing the ring. Actually you still are right now. You let him put his arms around you and kiss you without punching him," Sam said in disbelief.

"That was all pretty much my idea," Kensi said. "Since Deeks joined our team, you guys have given us crap about being more than just partners, about me being smitten with him, about us having a 'thing.' I just wanted to have a little fun with all of you and give you what you thought you've been right about all this time. I wanted to see the looks on your faces," she explained. "We didn't think you guys would get so serious about it so fast. Sorry we lied to you."

Deeks noticed that Nell was standing very still staring at them. "Nell, what are you doing? Why are you looking at us like that?"

"Deeks, I am an intelligence analyst. So I am analyzing your intelligence, in this case your emotional relationship intelligence, and let's just say I am disappointed by what I see. You guys may have set out to fool us, but I believe it's the two of you who are being fooled – by each other."

Callen wasn't sure what to believe. "None of that was real? Last night? This morning? Kensi, I've worked undercover ops with you before, and you always have a tell of some kind I can pick up on when you're in character. There was none of that this time. You're good, but you're not that good. Some things just can't be faked."

"Seriously, how blind are you two?" Eric blurted out suddenly. "I may be stuck up in ops most of the time staring at a computer screen, but even I can see the difference between reality and fiction."

"Guys, we're really sorry. We thought we were just having a little fun, and we never expected you all to react so strongly," Kensi tried to apologize.

"I don't think it's us and our reactions you need to worry about so much," Sam said matter-of-factly. "It's how the two of you respond to each other that matters. Maybe you need to go back to everything that has happened since the convention center and straighten out the story between yourselves first before you tell us what the truth is."

Deeks looked at Kensi. There was an air of sadness and disappointment on her face. He thought he saw a tear pooling in the corner of her eye, but she turned her head away and he wasn't sure. Was it possible that it had become more than just fun and games for her, too?

"Kensi, can we go outside for a minute?" They slipped out into the courtyard while the rest of the group kept discussing the situation without them.

"What do you want, Deeks? I feel horrible. They really thought we were in love and engaged. We lied to them and now they hate us," Kensi said softly while looking down at the ground.

"You seemed a little lost in there and I thought you could use some fresh air," Deeks answered gently, not pushing for anything else. "And I don't think anyone hates you. I don't."

"Thanks. I guess we played our parts better than we thought."

"Well, we are pretty good together, Fern. Do you think they'll calm down and be ok with us going back to the status quo?" Deeks asked her.

Kensi's eyes suddenly lit up and a small gasp escaped her lips. She looked like a light bulb had just gone on in her brain. "They might be ok with it, but I don't think I will be," she admitted.

It was Deeks' turn to be surprised. "Hmm? What are you talking about Kens?" He was hopeful but wanted to hear exactly what was going on in that brunette's mind.

"Something Hetty said to me this morning... I thought she was talking about the case, but maybe not." She took a deep breath. It was time to take a risk; no more playing games with anyone. "Deeks, I have something I need to tell you. This is hard for me and I'm really nervous, so it may come out all jumbled up and not even make much sense, but please don't say anything until I'm all done. Ok?" She looked at him with eyes wide open, silently pleading with him.

"OK. I'm listening." He could tell this was serious and let her continue.

"This engagement thing, this joke we were playing on the guys, it got to me. I think Nell was right about us being the ones who were fooled, or at least me. I thought it was wrong to think and feel this way about you but I can't keep it inside anymore. I… I have feelings for you, Deeks, more than just as my partner. I'm not sure how long I've felt this way, and I'm still not sure exactly what I want to do about it, but they are there and I can't keep ignoring them. I've been scared to say anything because I'm afraid you don't feel the same way about me and I don't want to be rejected. Having to work with you side by side every day after an emotional rejection is one of the worst punishments I can think of. I think about you way more than I should and probably in more ways than I should. I can't stop thinking about how it felt to kiss you and have your arms around me. I loved falling asleep next to you and waking up with you. If you aren't by my side, I feel incomplete; that's weird to admit because I'm so used to being independent but it is what it is. You've changed me, for the better probably. I let my guard down around you. I laugh more with you. I smile more with you. If you tell Callen or Sam this I will kill you, but yesterday after the proposal I even found myself wondering if I would ever be lucky enough to someday be the recipient of a real proposal from you." She paused to catch her breath before going on. "So there it is. I've probably embarrassed myself enough for the whole week, and you're probably ready to give me a weird look and back away, so I'll shut up. I just… I just needed to get that all out, for what it's worth." Kensi leaned against the wall and sighed. It had taken a lot to admit all that out loud. Now she had to wait and see how Deeks would respond and if it had been worth the risk.

Deeks was quiet, letting her words sink in. Kensi had just laid bare her entire heart to him, and it sounded better than anything he could have come up with in his dreams. He wanted to remember this for the rest of his life. Slowly a smile made its way across his face and he stepped closer to her. He didn't want to let any words disrupt the moment. Instead, his tipped her chin up with his fingers and gently brushed his lips against hers. Another soft brush of lips, and then he pressed his mouth harder against hers, letting the kiss say what he didn't trust himself to with words. Her fingers found their way to his soft hair as his hands wrapped around her waist tightly. Their lips and their tongues performed a slow, sensual dance that could only be choreographed by love. Finally they broke apart for air, and Deeks forced himself to speak.

"Thank you for sharing all that with me. I would never reject you Kensi. You mean way too much to me. I have so much I want to tell you, too. For now just know that I feel the same way. I think I know what we should do next. I'll pick you up at your place at 7 tonight, ok? I have a couple errands first, and then I'll be there." He had an idea and was ready to run with it. He knew exactly what he needed to do now. Deeks kissed Kensi one more time before taking off.

* * *

Deeks picked Kensi up at her house right on time. She was wearing jeans, a black tank top, and her hair was down around her shoulders. He had told her to dress casually, and he marveled at how she looked more and more beautiful each time he saw her. They drove across town and parked behind a brick building.

"What are we doing here? Did you bring me to an empty parking lot to make out, Deeks?" Kensi tried to joke to hide the butterflies in her stomach. "I think whatever this place is, it's closed. What are you up to?"

"I know the guy who owns the place and he gave me a key. Don't you recognize it?" he asked her as they walked inside. As she stepped out of the doorway and into the open space before them, she immediately knew where they were. It was the MMA gym where they had first met – her as Tracy and he as Jason Wyler. She was still confused as to why they were there.

"This is what you thought we needed to do next? Fight it out in the ring? Cause I didn't dress for that," Kensi said looking at Deeks.

He took a step closer to her. "I brought you here because I have a proposal for you."

"Deeks," she said with a warning in her voice. "Don't do this again. That's what got us into this whole mess in the first place. I can't move that fast with you – with us. Not when it's real this time." She really hoped she hadn't just crushed him and ruined any chance they might have had.

"No, no, it's not that kind of proposal this time. There will be no bended knee, no diamond rings. I promise. Just you and me, being real with each other and where we are at right now," he assured her.

Kensi felt a sense of relief wash over her. "Ok, but why here? Why couldn't we just talk when we were at work earlier, or at one of our places?"

"I told you last night, when it comes to proposals, I'm more of the private moment, romantic guy. This is where I first met you, first looked into those gorgeous eyes, first noticed the way your hair fell around your shoulders in soft waves, and first melted from one of your smiles. This place is special and meaningful for us." Kensi smiled at the memories of their first meeting. Callen had been right; she had been smitten and stuck on him from the very beginning.

He took a deep breath and then continued. "Kensi, I've had feelings for you for quite a while now. I want to take that risk you were talking about and explore them outside of work, outside of our normal partnership. I hate the end of the work day because it usually means I have to go home and not see you for several hours. It means I can't see your smile or hear your laugh as often as I want to. It means I'm left wondering if you are out with some other guy and trying to convince myself I have no right to be jealous. I spend hours coming up with plausible reasons to see you after work that won't make me sounds like a lovesick fool. What I'm trying to say is, Kensi, I have seriously fallen in love with you. Hopelessly and completely in love with you. So I just have to ask: Will you make me even happier than I normally am around you and be my girlfriend? Kensi Blye, will you go out with me – for real?" He smiled at that last part. He wanted to be perfectly clear this was not a game. This was not a cover story. This was simply a man and a woman and reality.

Leave it to Deeks to take the simple act of asking her out on a date and turn it into one of the most memorable and beautiful speeches she's ever heard. Kensi couldn't help the simultaneous smile and tears that appeared on her face. All her fears about being rejected, about not knowing exactly how he felt, seemed so silly now. She had let her guard down and the game had changed. But this was one she wanted to play for a long, long time. "Yes! Yes, I will go out with you and be your girlfriend Deeks!" she exclaimed, jumping into his arms. Their lips met in a fiery kiss, their bodies melted into each other. Hands roamed over muscles and curves as if taking it all in for the first time. Small moans escaped from mouths that couldn't speak words. There was no line that separated them into two persons; they were completely one in that moment. It wasn't about pent up lust or burning desire, though; it was the release of genuine love that had been caged up and denied for too long.

Finally they parted, breathless but content. Deeks rested his forehead against Kensi's and looked deep into her eyes. "Wow," was all his brain could come up with.

Kensi started to laugh as a thought hit her. "What do you think they're going to say now when we tell them at work?"

"I don't think we should tell them anything for a long time, princess." Deeks said shaking his head and grinning. "They can't handle anything else from us."

After a few minutes of comfortable, contented silence, Deeks stepped back from Kensi. "So are you busy the rest of tonight? I was thinking we could have our first date right now if that's ok."

She nodded and he took Kensi's hand in his. He led her across the gym to a smaller workout area. A blanket had been spread on the floor next to a weight bench. On the bench was a case of beer, a large box of Twinkies, the _Titanic_ DVD, and a couple of candles – all her favorite things. Deeks grabbed a remote from the corner of the bench and turned on one of the large screen TVs that was hung on the opposite wall. The movie was ready to start. He sat down in the middle of the blanket and motioned for her to join him. "Can I interest you in some food and beverage?" he asked her. "Maybe later," she replied. Kensi sat down between his legs and leaned back into his chest. Deeks wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. She smiled as she thought about how this was already the best first date ever, all because of a proposal that wasn't a proposal that became a new proposal.

* * *

_That's the last chapter of this tale. Happy ending, because that is my favorite kind. Thanks for taking this journey with me, and I hope it ended the way you wanted it to. I have several other stories already started (not published yet), but school is out for the summer now. My two young sons keep me very busy, but I will post what I can when I can. Thank you again for all the great reviews - I really do appreciate them!_


End file.
